Shoe



Nov. 14, 1944.

R. F. KNIGHT SHOE Filed Dec. 12, 1942 Patented Nov. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l l r 2,362,639- I f Q y SHOE Ralph F. Knight, Beverly," Mass., assignorto United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationDecemb'er 12, 1942, Serial No. 468,766 I (o1. as-19.5)

8 Claims.

. This invention relates to shoes and is illustrated as embodied in a beach clog having a wedge heel.

There is atendency for the outsoles of shoes such, for example, as beach clogs which have wedge heels made of wood or other rigid material, to crack widthwise in the vicinity of the forward edge of the heel. This, cracking is due partly to the fact that in the clogs now being used the flexing of the clog in walking is concentrated at the forward edge of the rigid heel, which edge is usually located a substantial distance rearward of the break line of the shoe. Such flexing usually, before cracking the outsole, tends to cause the front portion of the rigid heel to become detached from the insole and the outsole due to the constant shuffling action of the forward portion of the rigid heel with relation to said insole and outsole, with the result that the shank portion of the clog becomes flimsy. 3 It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shoe of the general type above mentioned having none of the above drawbacks.

With the above considerations in view and in accordance with a feature of the present invention, there is provided a wedge heel comprising attaching and tread faces intersecting in an edge, the major portion of said heelbeing rigid but the entire forward end portion of. the heelin the vicinity of said edge being made of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending. The rigid pertion of the illustrative wedge heel consists of a wedge-shaped wood block, attaching and'tread faces of which intersect in a forward edge. A thick layer of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending is secured to the tread face of the block and has a forward beveled portion which projects in front of said edge of the block and has a face continuous with the attaching face of the block.

In the illustrative shoe in which the abovedescribed heel is incorporated, the forward end of the rigid block is located a substantial distance back of the break line of the shoe, to which" line the beveled portion of said layer of flexible material extends. The insole and the outsole of the shoe are adhesively secured to the forwardly projecting end of said material, the arrangement being such that the flexing of the shoe in walking starts at the ball line of the shoe and is distributed lengthwise along the projecting portion of said layer of material in the form of a gradual curve. said drawbacks are overcome anda durable shoe which is comfortable on the foot of the weareris provided.

With the above construction the afore- 'The various features of the invention will be understood and appreciated fromthe following detailed description read in' connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an angular view of an improved wedge heel; and

Fig. 2 isga side elevation, partly in central vertical section, of a shoe in which the heel shown in Fig. 1 has been incorporated.

The illustrative wedge heel 20 (Fig. 1) .com prises a wood heel block 22 and a thickleather lift or layer 24 which is adhesively secured to a tread face 26 of the block and has a beveled portion 28 projecting forwardly from an edge 30 formed by the intersection of the tread face 26 and an attaching face 32 of the block. The lift 24 is made of leather, the thickness and quality of the same being such that when the wedge heel is incorporated in a shoe, such, for example, as a beach clog 34 (Fig. 2), the forwardly projecting portion 28 of the lift, which preferably extends from one side of the .block 22 to the other, is resistant to abrupt bending when the clog is used in walking.

, The bottom face of the forwardly projecting portion 28 is in a continuation of the plane of the fiat tread face 36 of the lift 24 and a forward upper beveled face 38of the lift is approximately continuous with the attaching face 32 of the, block. The entire bottom face of the lift 24 may be referred to as the tread face of the wedge heel 20, and the attaching face 32 of. the block 22 and the beveled face 38 of the lift 24 together maybe referred to asthe attaching face of the wedge heel. With the above construction, it will be clear that the major portion of the wedge heel 20 is rigid and that theapex portion of the heel in the vicinity of the edge 40 in which the attaching and tread faces of the wedge heel intersect is made of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending.

After the lift 24 has been cemented to the block 22, the resultant wedge heel has a cover 42 applied to its side and rear faces, upper and lower projecting margins 44, 46 (Fig. 2) of the cover being inturned-upon and secured to the attaching and tread faces, respectively, of the heel.

The wedge heel 20 is secured to the upper 48 of the shoe 34 by a suitable adhesive and also by nails 50 which are driven through an insole 52 of the shoe and into the block 22, care being taken to insure that the lower part of the attaching face of the heel, including the beveled face 38 of the lift 24, shall be effectively secured adhesively to the insole. An outsole 54 which is made of,

shoe in walking is distributed along an easy curve which corresponds to the walking curve of the foot. With uch a, construction there is no' abrupt bending of the shoe bottom at the edge of the wood heel block 22, said edge, together with the parts to which it is secured, being swung in a gradual curve when the shoe is being worn. It will also be noted that with the above shoe 4. A wedge heel comprising a rigid block having tread and attaching faces the forward ends of which intersect in an edge, and a layer of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending secured to the tread face of the block and having a forward end portion which extends beyond said edge of the block and which extends from one side of the block to the other and has a face continuous with the attaching face of the block.

5. A wedge heel comprising a rigid block having intersecting tread and attaching faces forming an edge, and a layer of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending secured to the tread ,face. Ofthe block and having a, beveled portion which projects forwardly from said edge of the block and from. one side of the block to the other,

' a forward projecting portion of said material havconstruction there is no tendency for the for-j ward end portion of the wood heel block 22 to separate from the lift 24 and/or from the insole 52, since these parts move together in an are 60, the bending of the shoe parts taking place along the entire projecting beveled portion of the lift, which, as above stated, is resistant to abrupt bending. Since the forward end of the block has little tendency to move with relation to the shoe parts to which it has been secured and the edge 30 of the block is spaced from the outsole by the lift, it will be clear that the shank portion of the shoe will always remain rigid and strong during the life of the shoe.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of ,the United States is:

1. A wedge heel comprising a rigid wedge block and a thick layer of fiexible'material resistant to abrupt bending secured to the tread face of the block and having a forwardly beveled portion which extends a substantial distance beyond the forward edge of said block.

2. A wedge heel comprising a rigid wedge block and a thick layer of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending secured to the tread face of the block and having a beveled portion which extends forwardly of the forward edge of said block and from one side of the block to the other.

3. A Wedge heel comprising a rigid block having intersecting attaching and tread faces forming an edge, and a layer of flexible material which is resistant to abrupt bending and is secured to the tread face of the block and has a beveled portion which extends forwardly of said edge of the block and has a face continuous with the attaching face of the block.

ing a face which is continuous with the attaching face of the heel.

6. A shoe comprising a, rigid wedge heel having tread and attaching faces intersecting in an edge, a lift of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending secured to the tread face of the block and having a beveled portion which projects forwardly from said edge, an insole secured to the attaching face of the block, and an outsole which is secured to the lift, said forwardly projecting portion of said lift being interposed between and adhesively secured to the insole and t0 the outsole.

' 7. A shoe comprising a rigid wedge block having tread and attaching faces intersecting in an edge, a lift of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending secured to the tread face of the block and extending from one side of the block to the other, said lift having a portion which is V- shaped in cross section, projects forwardly from said edge, and has a face which is continuous with the attaching face of the block, an insole secured to the attaching face of the block and to the projecting portion of the lift, and an outsole secured to the lift.

8. A shoe comprising a rigid wedge block having tread and attaching faces intersecting in an edge which is located a substantial distance rear-- wardly of the break line of the shoe, a lift of flexible material resistant to abrupt bending secured to the tread face of the block and having a beveled portion which projects forwardly from said edge of the block to the break line of the shoe and upper and lower faces of which are adhesively secured to the insole and to the outsole respectively of the shoe.

RALPH F. KNIGHT. 

